Ramses II Family Tree: Unraveling the Powerful Dynasty

In this article we are going to give you all the information you need to know about Ramses II Family Tree (his parents, wife’s, and his sons and daughters) .

Ramess II (also popular as Ramesses the Great and alternatively transcribed as Ramses and Rameses) was an Egyptian pharaoh of the 19th dynasty. He was born in 1302 BC. At age fourteen, Ramses II was named Prince Regent by his father. He is thought to have taken the throne in his early 20s and to have judged Egypt from 1279 BC to 1213 BC for a total of sixty six years and two months.

He was once said to have lived to be ninety nine years old, but it is more likely that he died in his 90th or 92nd year. Ancient Greek writers like Herodotus attributed his accomplishments to the semi-mythical Sesostris, and he is traditionally thought to have been the Pharaoh of the Exodus. If he became king in 1279 BC as most Egyptologists today suppose, he would have taken the throne on May 31, 1279 BC based on his familiar accession date of III Shemu day 27.

Ramses II Family

The Ramses II family tree of the Egyptian Nineteenth Dynasty is the usual mixture of conjecture and interpretation. The family history begins with the appointment of Ramesses I as the successor to Horemheb, the last king of the Eighteenth Dynasty who had no heirs (although it is speculated that Isetnofret, a wife of Ramesses II, was regarding him). From Ramesses’s line came perhaps the greatest king of the New Kingdom, Ramesses II.

He ruled for nearly sixty six years and had many children, many of them predeceased him and were buried in tombs in the Valley of the Kings, close to Thebes.

After Ramesses II’s rule the dynasty’s (and Egypt’s) grandeur declined and the later succession and subsequent rulers are unclear and muddled, indeed the ruler Amenmesse may have been a usurper and not directly connected to the other rulers of the dynasty.

Ramses II came from a regal and powerful lineage. His father, Seti I, was an esteemed pharaoh who had reunited Upper and Lower Egypt after an era of fragmentation. His mother, Queen Tuya, was not of royal blood, but she played a significant role in his life and upbringing. Ramses II had many wives and many children, a popular practice among Egyptian pharaohs. His major wife was Queen Nefertari, who held a private place in his heart.

Ramses II Family Tree

The Ancient Egyptian Pharaoh Ramesses II family tree had a massive number of children: between 48 and 50 sons, and 40 to 53 daughters – whom he had drown on different monuments.

Ramesses apparently made no distinctions between the children of his first two main wives, Nefertari and Isetnofret. Both queens’ firstborn sons and first few daughters had statues at the inlet of the Greater Abu Simbel temple, although only Nefertari’s children were depicted in the smaller temple, honor to her.

Other than Nefertari and Isetnofret, Ramesses had 6 more great royal wives during his reign – his own daughters Meritamen, Nebettawy , Bintanath, and Henutmire (who, according to another theory was his sister), and two daughters of Hattusili III, King of Hatti. Excluding the first Hittite princess Maathorneferure and possibly Bintanath, none are popular to have borne children to the pharaoh.

The first few children of Ramses II family tree usually appear in the same order of portrayal. Lists of princes and princesses were found in the Ramesseum, Wadi es _sebua , Luxor,and Abydos. Some names are popular to us from ostraka, tombs and other sources. The sons of Ramesses appear on photography of battles and triumphs–like the Battle of Kadesh and the siege of the Syrian city of Dapur–already early in his rule (Years 5 and 10, respectively), thus it is likely that many of them were born before he ascended to the throne. Many of his sons were buried in his tomb .

Ramesses’ pains to have his children depicted on different of his monuments are in contradiction with the earlier tradition of keeping royal children, especially boys in the background unless they held serious official titles. This was probably caused by the fact that his family was not of royal blood and he wanted to stress their royal status.

Ramses II’s Parents and their Influential Role

In this article we provide you with all information you need to know about Ramses II Family Tree and his parents Influential Role

King Seti I

Menmaatre Seti I, Sethos I, son of Ramses I and Sitre, was the second pharaoh of the 19th Dynasty; ruled about 15 years, from 1294 to 1279 BC.

Seti I is the major person of Ramses II family tree and was a military man, like his father, born in the Nile Delta area. His name derives from Seth, the god of war, weapons and the army, whom Seti I served as a vicar before becoming a soldier.

Not much is famed about the youth of pharaoh Seti I, but about his rule. As his father became vizier of Horemheb and later pharaoh, he was soon connected with the throne, but by then he was of adult age.

In his first year of rule alone, he began the conquest of Palestine, Syria and Canaan, which had achieved their independence during the rule of Akhenaten or had been defeated by the Hittites, traditional enemies of ancient Egypt.

Seti’s campaigns to the south of this region were a resounding success, matchless since the times of Tuthmosis III and Amenhotep II, but he did not dare to go further north for the advance of Hittite reign.

Queen Tuya

Tuya (also called Tuy or Muat-Tuya) was the wife of Pharaoh Seti I and a member of Ramses II family tree of the Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt and mother of Tia, Ramesses II, and perhaps Henutmire.

She was the daughter of Raia, who was a military officer based on his title of Lieutenant of the chariotry. Tuya’s daughter Tia was married to a high-ranking civil servant who was also termed Tia.

As the mother of Ramesses II, she enjoyed a privileged being of a respected king’s mother and was allowed the chance to correspond with the Hittite royal court after the Year 21 peace compact between Egypt and Hatti put in place by Ramesses II.

During his rule Seti gave the crown prince Ramses, the future Ramses II, a special status as regent. Seti provided him with a kingly household and harem, and the young prince joined his father on his campaigns, so that when he came to sole reign he already had experience of kingship and of war. It is noticeable that Ramses was designated as caliph at an unusually young age, as if to ensure that he would in fact succeed to the throne.

He was promoted as a captain of the army while still only 10 years old; at that age his grade must surely have been honorific, though he may well have been receiving military training.

Ramses II’s Wives and the Significance of His Harem

Ramses II is believed to have had eight wives, including two principal wives and six secondary wives. His two principal wives were Nefertari and Isetnofret. Ramses II family tree include His secondary wives Maathorneferure, Meritamen, Bintanath, Nebettawy, Henutmire, and Meritamen II.

Ramses II’s marriages were often politically motivated, as they helped to strengthen his alliances with other powerful families and kingdoms. For example, he married two Hittite princesses after signing a peace treaty with the Hittites in 1258 BCE.

Ramses II was a very fertile man, and he fathered over 100 children with his wives and concubines. His most famous son was Crown Prince Merenptah, who succeeded him as pharaoh.

1- Queen Nefertari

Nefertari was popular as “Lady of Grace,” “Great of Praises” “Lady of All Lands,” “Wife of the Strong Bull,” and massive other nicknames, Queen Neferati was one of the most famous Egyptian queens and an iconic women of Ancient Egypt, and the major person of Ramses II family tree

Ramesses II, like other kings of Egypt, had a many harem of wives. However, at any time only one wife was given the respect of being his ‘chief queen.” Although he would take eight of these queens over his lifetime, Queen Nefertari was his first and most lovely one. Ramesses was incredibly devoted to Nefertari and was obsessed with her prettiness. All of the best Egypta tours will include the tale of Ramesses and his admiration for his wife, as this love story is so serious to Egyptian history.

The passion that Ramesses had for his wife, which is clearly evident in the passion painted on the walls of her profuse tomb, shows that Egyptian royal marriages were not always based on strength, alliances or conveniences.

In some cases they came from a deep and significant love. Nefertari was no average woman and Ramesses wanted the world to know how she was special to him. Nefertari was a highly educated woman and she had the capacity to read and write hieroglyphs, which was quite a rare skill at the time. She put her thought and talent to use in diplomacy, corresponding with other important royal numbers of the time. Her descents are not really known, other than the fact that she was a member of the noble family.

2-Isetnofret:

Isetnofret was another prominent wife of Ramses II and held the title of “Great Royal Wife” alongside Nefertari. While she may not have been as celebrated as Nefertari, her role in the royal court was crucial. It was not uncommon in ancient Egypt for pharaohs to have multiple queens, often serving political purposes

3-Henutmire:

Henutmire is known to be one of Ramses II’s daughters, but there is some evidence to suggest that she may have held the title of “Great Royal Wife” as well. The role of daughters in marriages with their fathers was a dynastic practice in ancient Egypt

4-Meritamen:

Meritamen was the daughter of Ramses II and Queen Nefertari. Her marriage to her own father was a customary practice in ancient Egypt, aimed at maintaining the royal bloodline and ensuring the dynasty’s continuity.

5-Bintanath:

Bintanath was one of Ramses II’s wives, and she was a foreign princess. Marriages with foreign royalty were often strategic moves to strengthen diplomatic ties with other nations, demonstrating the political nature of many royal unions

6-Nebettawy:

Nebettawy was another of Ramses II’s daughters, and she may have held a significant role in the royal court. Like her sister Henutmire, her position in the family and court was likely influenced by dynastic considerations.

7-Maathorneferure:

Maathorneferure is believed to have been one of Ramses II’s lesser-known wives or concubines. While her historical significance may not be as pronounced as some of the others, she was still part of Ramses II’s extended family.

8-Meritamen II:

Meritamen II, not to be confused with Ramses II’s daughter Meritamen, is another less-documented wife or concubine of Ramses II. She likely played a role in the royal household, but details about her life and influence remain limited.

Conclusion

Ramses II Family Tree had several wives during his long and influential reign as pharaoh of Egypt. The exact number remains a subject of debate among historians due to the scarcity of detailed historical records. However, what is clear is that these marriages were not only a reflection of his personal life but also integral to the political and dynastic affairs of ancient Egypt.